Sleeve system and method of using

ABSTRACT

Herein is disclosed a sleeve system and methods of using the system. The system uses an elongated open-ended sleeve, and mounting plate parts which mate with each other to form a mounting plate and which are securable to each other and to a wall. The mounting plate thus formed comprises a collar which, when the mounting plates parts are secured together, presses against portions of the outer surface of the sleeve to hold the sleeve in place.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional of U.S. Ser. No. 12/545,331, filed Aug.21, 2009, now allowed, the disclosure of which is incorporated byreference in its entirety herein.

BACKGROUND

Wiring and the like are commonly passed through openings that penetratee.g. through the interior walls of buildings. In the process offirestopping such through-penetrating openings, it is common practice toplace the wiring in a sleeve and to position a firestop material, e.g.,moldable intumescent putty, within the sleeve.

SUMMARY

Herein is disclosed a sleeve system and a method of using the system.The system uses an elongated open-ended sleeve, and mounting plate partswhich mate with each other to form a mounting plate and which aresecurable to each other and to a wall. The mounting plate thus formedcomprises a collar which, when the mounting plates parts are securedtogether, presses against portions of the outer surface of the sleeve tohold the sleeve in place.

Thus in one aspect, herein is disclosed a sleeve system for mountingonto an opening in a wall, comprising: an elongated, generallycylindrical open-ended sleeve with an outer surface and an inner surfaceand an outer diameter; first and second mounting plate parts which eachcomprise a base and which mate together and secure to each other to forma mounting plate; wherein the mounting plate formed by the mated andsecured mounting plate parts comprises: a mounting plate base formed bymating together the base of the first mounting plate part and the baseof the second mounting plate part; an annular collar which extends fromthe base of the mounting plate and defines an opening in the mountingplate, the annular collar being arranged so that when the first andsecond mounting plate parts are mated together and secured to eachother, at least portions of the annular collar press against portions ofthe outer surface of the sleeve and thereby securely hold the sleeve inthe opening of the mounting plate; and, wherein each mounting plate partcomprises at least one tongue arranged so that when the mounting plateparts are mated together the at least one tongue of each mounting platepart is in overlapping relation with at least a portion of the mountingplate base that is provided by the base of the other mounting platepart, such that the tongue is in overlapping relation with at least aportion of a seam between the mated bases of the first and secondmounting plate parts.

Thus in another aspect, herein is disclosed a method of mounting asleeve system onto an opening that passes through a wall, comprising:inserting an elongated, open ended sleeve through the opening in thewall, the sleeve comprising an outer surface and defining an innervolume; mating first and second mounting plate parts together to form amounting plate comprising a mounting plate base formed by matingtogether bases of the first and second mounting plate parts, wherein themounting plate base comprises a perimeter sized and shaped tocircumscribe the opening in the wall when the mounting plate is placedadjacent the wall; wherein the mounting plate further comprises a collarthat extends outward from the mounting plate base and that defines anopening sized and shaped to receive the sleeve, wherein the area boundedby the perimeter of the base is greater by at least a factor of threethan the area of the opening defined by the collar; and wherein themating of the mounting plate parts together to form the mounting plateis performed so that at least one tongue of each mounting plate part isplaced into overlapping relation with at least a portion of the mountingplate base that is provided by the base of the other mounting platepart, so that the tongue is in overlapping relation with at least aportion of a seam between the mated bases of the first and secondmounting plate parts; securing the first and second mounting plate partstogether in the mated condition, so that at least portions of the collarpress against portions of the outer surface of the sleeve and therebysecurely hold the sleeve in the opening of the base; and, optionallysecuring the mounting plate to the wall.

These and other aspects of the invention will be apparent from thedetailed description below. In no event, however, should the abovesummaries be construed as limitations on the claimed subject matter,which subject matter is defined solely by the attached claims, as may beamended during prosecution.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an exemplary sleeve systemdisclosed herein, mounted in a through-penetration in a wall.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an exemplary sleeve.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of exemplary sleeve parts that can be matedtogether to form a sleeve.

FIG. 4 is an end plan view showing the sleeve parts of FIG. 3 matedtogether to form a sleeve.

FIG. 5 is an end plan view of an exemplary sleeve opened into aclamshell configuration.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of exemplary mounting plate parts that canbe mated together to form a mounting plate.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the mounting plate parts of FIG. 6mated together to form an exemplary mounting plate.

FIG. 8 is a side plan view in partial cross section of an exemplarysleeve system disclosed herein, mounted in a through-penetrating openingin a wall.

Like reference numbers in the various figures indicate like elements.Some elements may be present in identical multiples; in such cases onlyone or more representative elements may be designated by a referencenumber but it will be understood that such reference numbers apply toall such identical elements. For certain components that may be presentin interchangeable and/or identical multiples (e.g., pairs), anydesignation of “first” and “second” may apply to the order of use, asnoted herein (with it being irrelevant as to which one of the componentsis selected to be used first). Unless otherwise indicated, all figuresand drawings in this document are not to scale and are chosen for thepurpose of illustrating different embodiments of the invention. Inparticular the dimensions of the various components are depicted inillustrative terms only, and no relationship between the dimensions ofthe various components should be inferred from the drawings, unless soindicated. Although terms such as “top”, bottom”, “upper”, lower”,“under”, “over”, “front”, “back”, “outward”, “inward”, and “up” and“down” may be used in this disclosure, it should be understood thatthose terms are used in their relative sense only unless otherwisenoted.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Shown in FIG. 1 in exploded perspective view is an exemplary sleevesystem 1 that may be useful in the firestopping of a through-penetratingopening 83, e.g., in a wall of a building. In the present context, theterm wall is used broadly to include vertical walls as well ashorizontal floors/ceilings, etc. While the particular wall 80 shown inFIG. 1 comprises two partitions 80 a and 80 b, separated from each otherby a cavity space established by stud 84 (in which case opening 83comprises aligned openings 83 a and 83 b in partitions 80 a and 80 brespectively), wall 80 may comprise a single partition and may or maynot comprise features such as stud 84. Wall 80 and/or partitions thereofmay be comprised of commonly known building materials such as gypsum,wood, plaster, concrete, and the like.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, sleeve system 1 comprises elongatedsleeve 20 that comprises a longitudinal axis and that defines innervolume 32 therewithin. In some embodiments, sleeve 20 may be generallycylindrical, which term is broadly defined herein to encompass sleevesnot only with substantially circular cross sectional shapes but alsowith shapes such as oval and the like. (In such cases, such terms asdiameter, perimeter, annular, etc., will be understood to correspond tothe parameter appropriate to the particular geometry of the sleeve). Insome embodiments, sleeve 20 may be made of metal, e.g., 16 gauge sheetsteel, 18 gauge sheet steel, and so on. In some embodiments, sleeve 20may comprise a single, unitary piece that has already been formed intoits final shape, when delivered to a user for installation in a wall. Inother embodiments, sleeve 20 may be fabricated on site by a user, e.g.,by taking a sheet material (e.g., sheet steel) and forming it into anelongated generally cylindrical sleeve.

However made, sleeve 20 comprises outer surface 25 and inner surface 26,and comprises short side edges 24, which may be annular edges as shownin the exemplary sleeve of FIG. 2. If desired, each short side edge 24of sleeve 20 may comprise a rolled edge (e.g., formed by rolling orfolding a terminal portion of the material of sleeve 20 back uponitself), which may minimize the chances of snagging or damaging anywiring that is passed through sleeve 20. Sleeve 20 may comprisecenterpoint indicia 31 (which, e.g., may be printed, may be provided onlabel, or may be a physical marking such as an embossed notch) which maybe useful in axially centering sleeve 20 in an opening in a wall.

In various embodiments, sleeve 20 may be provided in various sizes(e.g., in nominal diameters of 1 inch, 2 inches, and/or 4 inches) to fitvarious size openings in building walls, with (later-described) mountingplate 40, and opening 63 therein, sized to match. Sleeve 20 may rangefrom, e.g., 6 inches in axial length, to 12 inches in length, to 18inches or more.

When used in a wall opening, sleeve 20 may contain wiring. As usedherein, the term “wiring” is used broadly to encompass any item such aswire, pipe, coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, tubing, conduit, and soon, whether carrying electricity for power, electricity for signaling,optical signals, and the like, which it might be desired to pass throughan opening in a wall.

In some embodiments, sleeve 20 is comprised of identical sleeve parts21, (of which exemplary examples are shown in FIG. 3), which can bemated with each other to form sleeve 20 as shown in FIG. 4. Suchidentical sleeve parts may be advantageous in that an end user(installer) may not be required to select such parts in any particularorder for use and in that stocking of multiple, different parts may notbe required. For convenience of description, sleeve parts 21 may beoccasionally referred to herein as sleeve part 21′ and sleeve part 21″(respective components thereof may also be designated by this ′/″nomenclature). One of skill in the art will understand that suchdesignation is arbitrary and may only signify, e.g., the order in whicheach of two identical parts is selected for use.

As shown in FIG. 3, sleeve parts 21 comprise outer surface 25 and innersurface 26, long side edges 23 and 34, and short side edges 24. It willbe understood that certain features of sleeve parts 21 described hereinwill correspond to (similarly numbered) features of sleeve 20 formed bythe mating of sleeve parts 21 (e.g., short side edges 24, outer surfaces25, and inner surfaces 26, of sleeve parts 21, combine to respectivelyform short side edges 24, outer surface 25, and inner surface 26, ofsleeve 20). In the illustrated embodiment, sleeve parts 21 each compriseat least one longitudinally extending tab 22 that protrudes generallycircumferentially from long side edge 34, in a direction generallytangent to inner surface 26 of sleeve part 21 at a point adjacent longside edge 34 (e.g., as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.) To facilitate mating ofsleeve parts 21 together to form sleeve 20, each tab 22′ of a sleevepart 21′ is designed to press against area 29″ (most easily seen in FIG.4) of inner surface 26″ that is circumferentially adjacent to long sideedge 23″ of sleeve part 21″.

In some embodiments, tab 22 extends continuously (e.g., withoutinterruption) along at least 70%, at least 80%, or at least 90%, of theaxial length of long side edge 34 of sleeve part 21. In furtherembodiments, tab 22 may terminate less than about 1 inch, less thanabout ½ inch, or less than about ¼ inch, from short side edge 24 ofsleeve part 21. Axially-terminal ends of tab 22 may be chamfered,angled, etc. as desired. Tab 22 may be formed from the same sheet ofmaterial (e.g., metal) that comprises sleeve part 21 (e.g., byperforming one or more bending and/or cutting operations to provide tab22); or, tab 22 may be provided e.g. by attaching (by soldering,welding, etc.) a separate piece of material to sleeve part 21.

In the exemplary designs shown herein only a single tab 22 is present onone long side edge 34 of sleeve part 21. However, in other embodimentsmultiple tabs 22 may be present along the length of long side edge 34and/or one or more tabs may be provided along the length of long sideedge 23 as well.

Sleeve 20 formed by the mating of sleeve parts 21 may comprise at leasttwo generally axially oriented seams 33 formed by the abutting of longside edges 23 and 34 of sleeve parts 21 (specifically, the abutting oflong side edge 23′ of sleeve part 21′ with long side edge 34″ of sleevepart 21″, and vice versa). Although shown herein as generally linear andstraight, in various embodiments one or both seams 33 may comprisenonlinear shapes (e.g., wavy, sawtoothed, jagged, etc).

In some embodiments, paired sleeve parts 21′ and 21″ can be provided toa user already mated together to form sleeve 20. If to be used e.g. inthe firestopping of a newly created opening in a wall (e.g., that doesnot contain existing wiring) sleeve 20 may be placed in the opening asis. If to be used in firestopping an opening that already containswiring, it may be necessary to at least partially disassemble sleeve 20into component sleeve parts 21 in order to position the wiring withinsleeve 20. To enhance the ease of performing this operation, pre-matedsleeve parts 21 may be provided with a hinged connection that enablessleeve parts 21 to be momentarily opened into a clamshell configuration(for insertion of wiring) and then reclosed to reform sleeve 20.

In some embodiments, this may be accomplished by the advantageousplacement of one or more labels 27 on sleeve parts 21. Such a label(which may e.g. be adhesively attached to outer surfaces 25 of sleeveparts 21) may already be desired to be present, e.g. to identify theproduct, to provide instructions to a user, to mark an axialcenterpoint, etc. For the purposes outlined herein, label 27 may bearranged as shown in FIG. 5. That is, label 27 may be attached (e.g., byadhesive bonding) to outer surfaces 25 of sleeve parts 21, spanning oneof seams 33 between the two sleeve parts 21, so that the portion oflabel 27 that spans seam 33 functions as a hinge that allows sleeveparts 21 to be opened into a clamshell configuration (as shown in FIG.5) and then reclosed. The properties (e.g., thickness strength, etc.) oflabel 27 and of the adhesive (e.g., pressure-sensitive adhesive) thereonmay be chosen so as to be sufficiently strong and durable to allow suchopening and closing of sleeve parts 21, e.g. multiple times if desired.In a further embodiment, an additional label (not shown in FIG. 5) canbe arranged to span the other seam 33 (such that two labels are present,each spanning one of two seams 33). This can further stabilize sleeveparts 21 in their mated configuration. If desired, a user can at leastpartially remove one of the labels, or can cut through one of the labelswhere it spans seam 33, to allow sleeve parts 21 to be opened into theclamshell configuration (with the remaining label acting as a hinge).

Sleeve system 1 comprises mounting plate parts 41 which may be mated(e.g., laterally mated) to each other to form mounting plate 40, asillustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7. In certain embodiments, mounting plateparts 41 may be identical, which may be advantageous in that a user maynot be required to select such parts in any particular order for use andin that stocking of multiple, different parts may not be required.Mounting plate parts 41 may be occasionally referred to herein as firstmounting plate part 41′ and second mounting plate part 41″ (respectivecomponents thereof may also be designated by this ′/″ nomenclature). Oneof skill in the art will understand that such designation is arbitraryand may only reflect, e.g., the order in which each of two identicalparts is selected for use. In addition, it will be understood thatcertain features of mounting plate parts 41 described herein willcorrespond to (similarly numbered) features of mounting plate 40 formedby the mating together of mounting plate parts 41.

Mounting plate parts 41 may each comprise a base 45 (bases 45 ofmounting plate parts 41 being mateable (e.g. abuttable) to each other toprovide base 45 of mounting plate 40). In the mating of mounting plateparts 41′ and 41″ to form mounting plate 40, an edge 64′ of base 45′ ofmounting plate part 41′, and an edge 64″ of base 45″ of mounting platepart 41″, may be abutted together, forming seam 58 in the process, asdepicted in FIG. 7.

Each mounting plate part 41 may comprise one or more orifices 44 bywhich mounting plate 40 may be attached to a wall (e.g., to surface 81of wall 80) by the use of one or more screws, bolts, nails, rivets, etc.Other mounting methods and devices may be used to attach mounting plate40 to a wall (e.g., liquid adhesive, caulk, double-faced adhesivesheeting, and the like). Base 45 of mounting plate 40 comprisesoutward-facing surface 46 that, when mounting plate 40 is attached towall 80, faces oppositely from wall 80. Base 45 of mounting plate 40comprises wall-facing surface 47 that, when mounting plate 40 isattached to wall 80, faces toward wall 80. In some embodiments, asubstantial portion of surface 47 may be in direct contact with asurface of wall 80 when mounting plate 40 is attached to wall 80 (e.g.,in the exemplary configuration of FIG. 1, substantially all of surface47 of mounting plate 40 is in direct contact with surface 81 of wall80).

Base 45 of mounting plate 40 formed by the mating of plate parts 41 maybe generally planar (with one or more tabs, tongues, etc., connectedthereto, as disclosed later herein). Base 45 of mounting plate 40 may bedesigned such that perimeter 59 of mounting plate base 45 circumscribes(i.e. surrounds, not necessarily in a circular manner) opening 83 ofwall 80 with which system 1 is to be used. Base 45 of mounting plate 40may be generally square in shape (as in the exemplary design of FIG. 7).Or, base 45 of mounting plate 40 may be some other shape (e.g.,rectangular, oval, irregular, etc.). The size (area) of base 45 may bechosen as desired, e.g., depending on the amount to which it may bedesired that perimeter 59 of mounting plate base 45 is to be positionedbeyond the edges of opening 83 in wall 80. In various embodiments,perimeter 59 of mounting plate base 45 may bound a total area of fromabout 40, about 60, or about 80 square inches. The total area bounded byperimeter 59 may be greater than the area of opening 63 of mountingplate 40 (discussed later herein), by a factor of at least about two,about three, or about four. The area of base 45 of mounting plate 45, incombination with other features discussed later herein, may allow system1 to be used with a wall opening 83 that is significantly larger (e.g.,20% larger, 30% larger, or even 50% larger or greater) in diameter thanthe diameter of sleeve 20. For example, system 1 with sleeve 20 of 4inch nominal diameter may be successfully used with a wall opening 83 of6 inch diameter. Additionally, system 1 may be used successfully withwall opening 83 that is irregularly shaped. Such performance stands incontrast to systems which may only be suited for wall openings that areonly slightly larger than the diameter of the sleeve used, and/or thatclosely match the shape of the sleeve used.

In various embodiments, mounting plate parts 41 are designed to matetogether such that wall-facing surface 41 of mounting plate 40 isgenerally planar, as described in detail later herein.

Mounting plate parts 41 may each comprise at least one tab 42 thatprotrudes outward away from base 45 of mounting plate part 41. (As usedherein, “outward” signifies a direction away from wall 80 when mountingplate 40 is placed thereupon). In particular embodiments (e.g., as shownin FIGS. 6 and 7), tab 42 may protrude generally perpendicularly outwardfrom base 45 of mounting plate part 41.

In some embodiments, tab 42′ of mounting plate part 41′, and tab 42″ ofmounting plate part 41″, are each located at edge 64 of their respectivemounting plate part such that, when the two mounting plate parts 41 aremated to form mounting plate 40, tab 42′ and tab 42″ are abuttedtogether such that major surface 65′ of tab 42′ and major surface 65″ oftab 42″ are in contact with each other (e.g., as pictured in FIGS. 6 and7). Tabs 42 may each comprise at least one orifice 43 whereby tabs 42may be fastened to each other thus securing mounting plate parts 41 toeach other (e.g., by the use of one or more screws, bolts, nails,rivets, etc.). Other methods and devices may be used to secure tabs 42to each other (e.g., liquid adhesive, caulk, double-faced adhesivesheeting, and the like).

In some embodiments, each mounting plate part 41 may include two tabs 42(as shown in exemplary fashion in FIGS. 6 and 7), or more if desired.This arrangement may allow mounting plate parts 41 to be secured to eachother in two locations, which may enhance the securing of mounting plateparts 41 together. With e.g. two tabs present, mounting plate parts 41may still be identical to each other (e.g., as in the exemplary mountingplate parts of FIG. 6). In the particular embodiment in which tabs 42protrude from base 45 of mounting plate part 41 at a nonperpendicularangle, each pair of tabs on a given mounting plate part can be atsupplementary angles with respect to each other, so that two suchmounting plate parts can still be identical to each other and the tabsof two such mounting plate parts can be mated to each other. If desiredfor ease of handling, one tab of a particular mounting plate maycomprise a small orifice sized e.g. to accept a self-tapping screw, andanother orifice on the other tab of that mounting plate may be slightlylarger (e.g., such that a threaded shank of a screw can be easily passedthrough it), but small enough to prevent a screw head from passingthrough. Each mounting plate thus having a tab with a small orifice anda tab with a larger orifice, the use of identical mounting plates may bepreserved. In various embodiments, tab(s) 42 can comprise an area (i.e.,occupied by major surface 65 of tab 42) of at least about 0.3, about0.5, or about 0.6 square inches.

Mounting plate parts 41 may each comprise one or more tongues 60. Tongue60 may protrude generally laterally from base 45 of mounting plate part41 (e.g., from edge 64′ of base 45′ of mounting plate part 41′ that isabuttable against edge 64″ of mounting plate part 41″). At least aportion of tongue 60 may be positioned slightly outwardly from surface46 of base 45 of mounting plate 40, as shown in exemplary manner in FIG.6. In some embodiments, tongue 60 may thus extend at a slight angleoutward from surface 46 of base 45 of mounting plate part 41. In otherembodiments, tongue 60 may extend generally parallel to surface 46 ofbased 45, but may be offset a slight distance outward from surface 46,as in the exemplary arrangement of FIG. 6. This may be achieved e.g. byattaching a separate sheet of material to surface 46 of base 45 to formtongue 60; or, by providing tongue 60 as an extension of the materialforming base 45, with multiple bends in tongue 60 at or near itsjunction with base 45 (as shown in exemplary manner in FIG. 6). Howeverachieved, at least a portion of tongue 60 may be displaced outwardrelative to the plane of base 45 and surface 46 thereof, so that whenmounting plate parts 41 are mated together, at least a portion of tongue60 of one of the plates, may be placed into overlapping relation with aportion of the base of the other plate. That is, with reference to FIGS.6 and 7, when mounting plate parts 41′ and 41″ are mated together toform mounting plate 40, at least a portion of tongue 60′ of mountingplate part 41′ may extend over area 62″ of surface 46″ of base 45″ ofmounting plate part 41″. In some embodiments, when mounting plate parts41 are mated together the distance from inward (wall-facing) surface 61′of tongue 60′ to area 62″ of surface 46′ of mounting plate 40 may beless than about 1/16 inch. In particular embodiments, surface 61′ oftongue 60′ may directly contact at least a portion of area 62″. Invarious embodiments, the area of tongue 60 (i.e., occupied by surface 61of tongue 60) may be at least about 0.3, about 0.5, or about 0.6 squareinches. The aforementioned overlapping may have advantages, as describedlater herein.

In specific embodiments of the type pictured in FIGS. 6 and 7, mountingplate parts 41 are identical, and each mounting plate part 41 comprisesat least one tongue 60 that, when mounting plate parts 41 are matedtogether, may be placed into overlapping relation with a portion of theother base plate. The particular configurations shown in FIGS. 6 and 7may be advantageous in that each tongue 60 may be positioned outwardlyof the portion of the mounting plate base with which it is inoverlapping relation. Such arrangements may allow a significant portion,or substantially all, of surface 47 of base 45 of mounting plate 40 tobe generally planar and to be placeable into contact with a wall surface(as opposed to there being one or more at least partially protrudingfeatures, e.g., tongues, present in this location, that might interferewith a desired placement of surface 47 flush against a wall surface).

With reference to FIGS. 6 and 7, mounting plate parts 41 comprisefeatures such that, when the plate parts are mated together, thethus-formed mounting plate 40 comprises collar 48 that defines (i.e.,bounds) opening 63 therein. (In use of system 1, opening 63 defined bycollar 48 may be generally aligned with opening 83 in wall 80). In someembodiments, collar 48 may be an annular collar that defines generallycircular opening 63. Annular collar 48 may be at least partially definedby plurality of flanges 49 that each extend generally outward from base45 of mounting plate 40. Each of flanges 49 may comprise radiallyinward-facing surface 55, at least a portion of which is adapted tocontact outer surface 25 of sleeve 20 when sleeve system 1 is assembled,as explained in further detail later herein. Flanges 49 of collar 48 maybe circumferentially separated from each other by notches 50. Collar 48may comprise generally annularly continuous base portion 54 from whichindividual flanges 49 protrude (with annular collar 48 thus having acircumferentially continuous base portion 54 with a circumferentiallydiscontinuous portion extending outward therefrom, the discontinuousportion being comprised of flanges 49 circumferentially interrupted bynotches 50). The junction of base portion 54 of collar 48 with base 45of mounting plate 40 may be radiused, e.g., with a radius of curvatureof at least about 1/16 inch, which may advantageously minimize thepresence of any sharp corners or edges which might interfere with thepositioning of sleeve 20 within opening 63 of mounting plate 40.

Annular collar 48 may be designed so that the diameter defined bysurfaces 55 of flanges 49 when mounting plate parts 41 are mated andsecured together in the absence of a sleeve is slightly less than theactual (outer) diameter of sleeve 20 to be used in system 1, so thatwhen mounting plate parts 41 are mated and secured together to formmounting plate 40, at least portions of surfaces 55 of flanges 49 pressagainst portions of outer surface 25 of sleeve 20 and thereby securelyhold sleeve 20 in opening 63 of mounting plate 40. (In this context,slightly less means that the diameter so defined may range from about94% to about 99.9% of the actual diameter of sleeve 20).

At least some of flanges 49 are extended outwardly from base 45 ofmounting plate 40 such that, in use, they are generally aligned with thelongitudinal axis of sleeve 20 (e.g., as shown in FIGS. 1 and 8). Withinthis general limit, at least some of flanges 49 may be raked, by whichis meant that at least some flanges 49 (or, at least terminal portionsthereof) are angled slightly radially inward (i.e., away fromperpendicular with respect to base 45 of mounting plate 40) in suchmanner that terminal ends (tips) 51 of flanges 49 define a circle withslightly smaller diameter than a circle defined by the junctions offlanges 49 with base portion 54 of collar 48. (In this context, aslightly smaller diameter means that the smaller diameter may range fromabout 94% to about 99.9% of the larger diameter). In variousembodiments, rake angles may be used of from about 4 degrees to about0.1 degree (with rake angle being defined as the amount that the flangeis angled away from being perpendicular to base 45). In specificembodiments, rake angles may be used of from about 1.5 to about 2.5degrees.

This raking of flanges 49 may provide that contact of surfaces 55 offlanges 49 with outer surface 25 of sleeve 20 takes place preferentiallyin an area of radially inwardly-facing flange surface 55 that isproximate flange terminal end 51. This arrangement may cause flanges 49to each act as a cantilevered leaf spring that exerts pressure on sleeve20, which may enhance the secure holding of sleeve 20 in place withinopening 63 of mounting plate 40.

In various embodiments, the distance that terminal ends 51 of flanges 49are positioned outward from surface 46 of base 45 may be at least about0.3, at least about 0.6, or at least about 0.8 inches. Flanges 49 maycomprise generally circumferentially rounded corners 53, as pictured inFIGS. 6 and 7. Terminal ends 51 of flanges 49 may comprise scallops 52,also as pictured in FIGS. 6 and 7. Individual flanges 49 and/or terminalends 51 thereof may be relatively circumferentially straight, e.g., suchthat an interrupted circle defined by flanges 49 (when viewed along anaxis generally perpendicular to base 45 of mounting plate 40) may bemore precisely termed a generally circularly interrupted polygon.Alternatively, individual flanges 49 and/or terminal ends 51 thereof maybe arcuate (e.g., as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7), such that flanges 49, whenso viewed, define an interrupted circle. The arcuate shape of eachindividual flange 49 and/or the terminal end 51 thereof may generallymatch the shape of the junction of the particular flange with baseportion 54 of collar 48 of mounting plate 40.

The various components of annular collar 48 (flanges 49, base portion54, etc.), as well as tab(s) 42, tongue(s) 60, etc., may be formed fromthe same sheet of material (e.g., metal) comprising mounting plate part41 (e.g., by performing one or more bending and/or cutting operations);or, they may be provided e.g. by attaching (by soldering, welding, etc.)one or more separate pieces of material to mounting plate part 41.

Components as described herein may be supplied as kits, which mayinclude, for example, two or more mounting plate parts 41, and one ormore sleeves 20 and/or two or more sleeve parts 21. Such kits mayoptionally include any or all of firestop putty, space-filling material(as described in further detail later herein), installationinstructions, screws or other devices for attaching mounting plate parts41 to each other and/or for attaching mounting plate 40 to a wall,firestop gasketing material, and so on.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 8, in use of sleeve system 1, sleeve 20may be placed into opening 83 (which, in the case of a stud wall, may becomprised of aligned openings 83 a and 83 b) of wall 80 (e.g., aftersleeve 20 having been opened and wiring 90 inserted therein, asdiscussed earlier). Sleeve 20 may be axially centered relative to wall80 (i.e., so that portions of sleeve 20 of generally similar axiallength protrude from each side of wall 80). Mounting plate parts 41′ and41″ may then be positioned at the desired axial location of sleeve 20and mated together and secured to each other to form mounting plate 40with sleeve 20 positioned within opening 63 defined by collar 48 ofmounting plate 40. The securing of mounting plate parts 41 together mayresult in pressure being applied (e.g., by flanges 49 of mounting plate40) against outer surface 25 of sleeve 20 so that sleeve 20 is heldsecurely at least in a first axial location of sleeve 20. Mounting plate40 may then be optionally attached to wall 80.

The manner in which these operations are performed may be varied asdesired, as will be appreciated by those of skill in the art. Forexample, mounting plate parts 41 may be secured to each other afterwhich the thus-formed mounting plate 40 is attached to wall 80; or, onemounting plate part 41 may be attached to wall 80, the two mountingplate parts 41 secured to each other, and then the other of the twomounting plate parts attached to wall 80. In some cases, it may not benecessary to attach mounting plate 40 to wall 80, e.g., if two mountingplates 40 are mounted on sleeve 20 on opposite sides of wall 80 so thatsleeve 20 is securely held in opening 83 even without one or bothmounting plates 40 being attached to wall 80. In some circumstances,only one mounting plate 40 may be used, if desired. For example, ifsystem 1 is to be used to firestop an opening in a horizontal wall(e.g., a floor), it may only be necessary to use one mounting plate 40,e.g., located above the upper surface of the floor. That is, in such acase it may not be necessary to use an additional mounting plate 40below the lower surface of the floor.

Regardless of the implementation, the result is that sleeve 20 issecurely held in place within opening 83 of wall 80. (If not alreadypresent, wiring 90 can be passed through inner volume 32 defined bysleeve 20.) If desired, a second set of mounting plate parts may besimilarly positioned on the other side of wall 80, secured to each otherto hold sleeve 20 securely in at least a second axial location, andattached to wall surface 82, as in the exemplary embodiments of FIGS. 1and 8.

Sleeve system 1 may be used as an aid to firestopping an opening 83 in awall 80. Accordingly, if desired, firestop material (e.g., moldablefirestop putty, for example the product available from 3M Company, St.Paul, Minn., under the trade designation MP+), may be placed within atleast a portion of inner volume 32 defined by sleeve 20, according tomethods well known to those of skill in the art. Firestop material maybe placed generally only at one end of inner volume 32 defined byelongated sleeve 20, at both ends, or all along the length of sleeve 20,as may be called for by the particular circumstances and as is wellunderstood by those of skill in the art. Depending on the particularcircumstances, additional material (e.g., space-filling material, forexample the product available from 3M Company, St. Paul, Minn., underthe trade designation Fire Barrier Packing Material PM4) may be placedwithin inner volume 32 to aid in the functioning of the firestopmaterial.

Optionally, additional materials, for example firestop gasketingmaterial (e.g., intumescent sheeting such as graphite-loaded sheetingand the like, for example the product available from 3M Company underthe trade designation Fire Barrier Expantrol Flexible IntumescentStrip), may be placed between mounting plate 40 and wall 80, to enhancethe functioning of sleeve system 1. In addition to this, or in place ofthis, perimeter 59 of mounting plate 40 may be sealed (e.g., withfire-resistant caulk or the like) against wall 80. However, this may notbe necessary in the use of sleeve system 1. The inventors havediscovered that when wall openings that are firestopped by the use ofsleeve system 1 as disclosed herein are tested according to the methodsoutlined in UL 1479/ASTM E814-08b (as specified in 2008), surprisinglyhigh fire ratings may be achieved, even in the absence of componentssuch as the aforementioned intumescent sheeting.

The ASTM E814 Standard Test Method is often used to evaluate a firestopsystem (mounted in a through-penetration) for its ability to withstandexposure to flame, heat and a subsequent water hose stream. Each testedsystem is assigned an F Rating (an hourly rating indicating how long thesystem will withstand the passage of flame), and a T Rating (an hourlyrating indicating how long the system will prevent a particulartemperature rise on the side of the wall away from the fire). The testalso involves subjecting the firestopped through-penetration (after theexposure to fire) to a stream of water to determine the ability of thesystem to prevent the passage of water.

The inventors have found that, surprisingly, fire ratings of e.g. 1 houron the F scale, or even 2 hours on the F scale, can be achieved with theuse of sleeve system 1, without the use of any extra components or stepssuch as the aforementioned intumescent gasketing material, edgecaulking, and the like. Such performance may also be achieved withoutusing e.g. multiple mounting plates in a stacked configuration in whichthe individual mounting plates are rotated relative to each other so asto minimize the degree to which any seams or slots in a plate coincidewith seams or slots in another plate. (Such extra components and/orsteps would of course be cumbersome and expensive). Without wishing tobe limited by theory or mechanism, the inventors postulate that thissurprising result may result in least in part from the manner in whichmounting plate parts 41 mate together to form mounting plate 40 so as tominimize or obstruct any pathway that may be present as a result of theseam between the mated plate parts, from the manner in which mountingplate 40 securely holds sleeve 20 in place, or some combination of thesefactors.

For example, the performance of system 1 may be enhanced by the presenceof tongues 60 which are in overlapping relation with at least a portionof seam 58 that is present between abutted edges 64 of bases 45 ofmounting plate parts 41. Tongues 60 so positioned may act to at leastpartially obstruct any pathway (e.g., through which heated gases mightpenetrate) through mounting plate 40 caused by the presence of seam 58.The performance of system 1 may also be enhanced by the design ofmounting plate 40 in which portions of annular collar 48 press againstportions of the outer surface 25 of sleeve 20 and thereby securely holdsleeve 20 in opening 63 of mounting plate 40. The performance of system1 may be further enhanced by the design of tabs 42, which protrudeoutward from base 45 of mounting plate 40 and which may comprise arelatively large area, and so may act to further act to at leastpartially obstruct any pathway through mounting plate 40 caused by thepresence of seam 58.

While exemplary embodiments of system 1 have been described withreference to generally cylindrical sleeve 20, with generally annularcollar 48 of mounting plate 40 designed to receive the sleeve and tofunction therewith as described herein, in the broadest sense thedisclosures herein will be understood by those of skill in the art to beuseful with sleeves of any (cross sectional) shape, e.g., square,rectangular, diamond, irregular, and the like. In such embodiments,collar 48 of mounting plate 40 can be shaped (e.g., to match the shapeof sleeve 20) to receive sleeve 20 within opening 63 defined thereby, inorder that sleeve 20 be securely held therein according to theprinciples disclosed herein.

EXAMPLES

Sleeve parts were produced of the general design shown in FIGS. 3 and 4,of nominal 4 inch diameter and nominal 12 inch length, with rollededges. Each sleeve part comprised one tab that protrudedcircumferentially approximately 0.7 inch from a long edge of the sleevepart, and that extended continuously along the length of the long edgeand that terminated approximately ½ inch from each rolled edge of thesleeve part. The sleeve parts were made by bending and cutting of 18gauge sheet steel, using metal-forming methods well known to those inthe art. Each tab of a sleeve part was formed of the same metal sheetingthat comprised the body of the sleeve part.

Mounting plate parts were produced of the general design shown in FIGS.6 and 7. Each mounting plate part was formed of 18 gauge steel andcomprised a base with a long side length of approximately 8 inches and ashort side length of 3⅞ inches, with one long side of the base beinginterrupted by semicircular opening defined by a semi-annular collarwith semi-radius of approximately 2 inches. The semi-annular collarcomprised four flanges that extended approximately one inch generallyperpendicularly outward from the base of the mounting plate part. Theflanges each extended from a circumferentially continuous semi-annularbase portion of the semi-annular collar that protruded approximately5/16 inch outward from the mounting plate part base (with the one inchtotal extension of the flanges including this contribution from the baseportion). The base portion of the collar joined the base of the mountingplate part with a radius of curvature that was estimated to be a few mm.Each flange was arcuate in shape so as to be generally congruent inshape with the portion of the continuous semi-annular collar that theflange protruded from. Each flange terminated at a scalloped tip withrounded corners. The flanges were separated by notches with roundededges. The base of the mounting plate part and the semi-annular collarand flanges protruding therefrom were all formed of the same metalsheeting, with the annular collar and flanges formed by bending andcutting the metal sheeting using methods known to those in the art.

Each mounting plate part comprised two tabs that extended generallyperpendicularly outward from the base of the mounting plate. Each tabwas at a terminal end of the long side edge of the mounting plate partthat comprised the semicircular opening. Each tab extended approximately¾ inch perpendicularly outward from the base of the mounting plate andwas approximately 15/16 inch in length (when measured along the longside edge of the base of the mounting plate). The tabs were eachoriented parallel to the long edge of the base of the mounting platepart and were colinear. The tabs were formed by welding sheet steelpieces to the mounting plate parts in the aforementioned configuration.Each tab contained an orifice suitable for insertion of a screw.

Each mounting plate part comprised a tongue positioned along the longside edge of the mounting plate base that comprised the tabs and thesemicircular opening, between the annular semi-collar (at the pointwhere the semi-collar terminated at the long edge of the mounting platebase) and one of the tabs. The tongue protruded approximately ½ A inchbeyond the long edge of the base plate, with the plane of the tonguegenerally parallel to the plate of the base plate. The tongue was formedby welding a piece of sheet steel to the front surface (the surface fromwhich the semi-annular collar/flanges and tabs protruded) of the base ofthe mounting plate part. The protruding portion of the tongue was thusoffset outward from the base of the mounting plate part, thus ensuringthat when the mounting plate part was mated to another such mountingplate part the tongue would be placed in overlapping relation with aportion of the base of the other mounting plate part. Two of theabove-described mounting plate parts could be mated together, andsecured together by way of the above-described tabs, to form a mountingplate comprising a generally planar base of approximately 8 inches×7¾inches in size, with an annular collar of diameter approximately 4inches extending outward therefrom, and with overlapping tongues asdescribed above.

Several such mounting plates and sleeve parts were produced. The sleeveparts were mated into sleeves of 4 inch nominal diameter.

For testing, nominal 34 inch×34 inch vertical walls were assembled eachcomprising 3⅝ inch deep steel studs on 24 inch nominal spacing, faced oneach side with two layers of nominal ⅝ inch thick Type X gypsum board.Aligned 6 inch diameter holes were provided in each of the layeredgypsum board stacks on opposing sides of the stud walls.

For each test, a sleeve was axially centered in the stud wall openingand mounting plate parts were mated together to form a mounting platewith the sleeve contained in the opening defined by the annular collarof the mounting plate. The mounting plate parts were secured together byway of screws used to fasten the tabs of the plate parts together thuscausing the flanges of the annular collar to hold the sleeve securely ata particular axial location. The mounting plate was secured to a firstsurface of the stud wall by way of screws inserted through orifices inthe corners of the mounting plate. A second mounting plate was similarlyassembled and was secured to the second (opposite) surface of the wall(except as noted). For each test, a portion of MP+Firestop Putty ofnominal 1 inch (axial) depth was placed into each axial terminal end ofthe sleeve.

Numerous variations of this design were assembled. In some cases, thesleeve was empty (e.g., contained no wiring). In such cases, a packingmaterial (mineral wool batting, or in some cases PM4 Packing Material)with nominal 2 inch axial depth was positioned adjacent to, and axiallybehind, the firestop putty (that is, between the putty and the axialcenterpoint of the sleeve). In some cases, the sleeve contained assortedwiring (various mixtures of No. 24 AWG copper telephone cables, No. 12AWG copper conductor control cables, No. 2/0 AWG aluminum conductor SEcables, No. 23 AWG Category 6 data cables, fiber optical cables, coaxialcables, and/or 1/C-750 kcmil copper power cables). When wiring waspresent, care was taken that the putty filled the interstices betweenthe various cables. In various cases, wiring (cable) fills of 30%, andof 48%, were used. Some experiments were run as above (including wiring)except that the opening in the stud wall was 4.5 inches in diameterrather than 6 inches. In some cases the steel studs were on 16 inchspacings. In some cases the wall used for testing was a nominal 6 footwide by 7 foot high vertical walls (with 3⅝% inch deep steel studs on 24inch nominal spacing, faced on each side with two layers of nominal ⅝inch thick Type X gypsum board). In some cases the wall used for testingwas a horizontal 56 inch×70 inch×4½ inch thick lightweight concretefloor slab (in such cases, only one mounting plate was used, in aposition in contact with the top surface of the floor, and firestopputty was only placed in the uppermost inch of the vertically orientedsleeve, with two inches of packing material immediately beneath theputty).

The various firestopped openings as described above were testedaccording to the methods of ASTM E-814 (UL 1479), with testingwitnessed, and results reported, by an independent testing organization.Results of a representative test (with the sleeve system used in a wallopening of 6 inch diameter in the aforementioned 34 inch×34 inchgypsum-faced stud wall at 24 inch stud spacing), and containing a wiringmixture at 48% fill) are reported in Table 1.

TABLE 1 Test Duration F Rating, T rating Hose Stream Test Test Number(Minutes) (Hours) (Hours) (Pass/Fail) 09-0099-D 120 2 ¾ Pass

The tests and test results described above are intended solely to beillustrative, rather than predictive, and variations in the testingprocedure can be expected to yield different results. All quantitativevalues in the Examples section are understood to be approximate in viewof the commonly known tolerances involved in the procedures used. Theforegoing detailed description and examples have been given for clarityof understanding only. No unnecessary limitations are to be understoodtherefrom.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the specificexemplary structures, features, details, configurations, etc., that aredisclosed herein can be modified and/or combined in numerousembodiments. All such variations and combinations are contemplated bythe inventor as being within the bounds of the conceived invention.Thus, the scope of the present invention should not be limited to thespecific illustrative structures described herein, but rather by thestructures described by the language of the claims, and the equivalentsof those structures.

What is claimed is:
 1. A sleeve system for mounting onto an opening in awall, comprising: an elongated, generally cylindrical open-ended sleevewith an outer surface and an inner surface and an outer diameter; firstand second mounting plate parts which each comprise a base and whichmate together and secure to each other to form a mounting plate; whereinthe mounting plate formed by the mated and secured mounting plate partscomprises: a mounting plate base formed by mating together the base ofthe first mounting plate part and the base of the second mounting platepart; an annular collar which extends from the base of the mountingplate and defines an opening in the mounting plate, the annular collarbeing arranged so that when the first and second mounting plate partsare mated together and secured to each other, at least portions of theannular collar press against portions of the outer surface of the sleeveand thereby securely hold the sleeve in the opening of the mountingplate; and, wherein each mounting plate part comprises at least onetongue arranged so that when the mounting plate parts are mated togetherthe at least one tongue of each mounting plate part is in overlappingrelation with at least a portion of the mounting plate base that isprovided by the base of the other mounting plate part, such that thetongue is in overlapping relation with at least a portion of a seambetween the mated bases of the first and second mounting plate parts. 2.The system of claim 1 wherein each mounting plate part further comprisesat least one fastening tab that protrudes outwardly from the base of themounting plate part, each fastening tab being arranged to be secured toa fastening tab of the other mounting plate part so as to secure thepair of mounting plate parts together to form the mounting plate.
 3. Thesystem of claim 2 wherein the fastening tab of each mounting plate partprotrudes generally perpendicularly from the base of the mounting platepart.
 4. The system of claim 1 wherein the first and second mountingplate parts are identical to each other.
 5. The system of claim 1wherein the diameter of the collar formed when the mounting plate partsare mated together is slightly less than the outer diameter of thesleeve, so that when the mounting plate parts are mated and securedtogether to form the mounting plate, at least portions of the annularcollar press against portions of the outer surface of the sleeve andthereby securely hold the sleeve in the opening of the mounting plate.6. The system of claim 1 wherein the system is configured to receive anamount of firestop material within at least a portion of the interiorvolume of the elongated open-ended sleeve.
 7. The system of claim 6wherein, when used to firestop an opening in a wall, the system iscapable of providing at least a one hour F rating and a one hour Trating when tested in accordance with the methods outlined in ASTM E814as specified in
 2008. 8. The system of claim 7 wherein the system doesnot include a firestop gasketing material configured to be placedbetween the base of the mounting plate and the wall.
 9. The system ofclaim 1 comprising first and second identical sleeve parts that matetogether to form the sleeve.
 10. The system of claim 9 wherein the firstand second sleeve parts each comprise first and second long side edgesand wherein each of the sleeve parts comprises at least one tab thatprotrudes from at least a portion of the first long side edge of thatsleeve part, and further wherein when the first and second sleeve partsare mated together to form a sleeve, a tab of each sleeve part ispositioned radially inward of, and in contact with at least a portionof, the inner surface of the sleeve at a location proximal to a longside edge of the other sleeve part.
 11. The system of claim 10 whereinthe first and second sleeve parts each comprise a single tab, thatprotrudes from the first long side edge of that sleeve part and thatextends generally along the length of the long side edge to within about¼ inch of each end of the long side edge.
 12. The system of claim 10wherein the first and second sleeve parts are supplied mated togetherinto a sleeve, with first and second seams being present between abuttedlong side edges of the first and second sleeve parts, and wherein atleast a first label is attached to the outer surface of the sleeve sothat at least a portion of the label is in overlapping relation with atleast a portion of the first seam.
 13. A sleeve system for mounting ontoan opening in a wall, comprising: an elongated, generally cylindricalopen-ended sleeve with an outer surface and an inner surface and anouter diameter; first and second mounting plate parts which eachcomprise a base and which mate together and secure to each other to forma first mounting plate; wherein the first mounting plate formed by themated and secured mounting plate parts comprises: a first mounting platebase formed by mating together the base of the first mounting plate partand the base of the second mounting plate part; a first annular collarwhich extends from the base of the first mounting plate and defines anopening in the first mounting plate, the first annular collar beingarranged so that when the first and second mounting plate parts aremated together and secured to each other, at least portions of the firstannular collar press against portions of the outer surface of the sleeveand thereby securely hold the sleeve in the opening of the firstmounting plate; wherein the first and second mounting plate parts eachcomprise at least one tongue arranged so that when the first and secondmounting plate parts are mated together to form the first mounting platethe at least one tongue of each mounting plate part is in overlappingrelation with at least a portion of the first mounting plate base thatis provided by the base of the other mounting plate part, such that thetongue is in overlapping relation with at least a portion of a seambetween the mated bases of the first and second mounting plate parts;and further wherein the wall comprises first and second oppositelyfacing surfaces, wherein the first mounting plate formed from the matedfirst and second mounting plate parts is attachable to the first surfaceof the wall and wherein at least portions of the first annular collar ofthe first mounting plate press against portions of the outer surface ofthe sleeve at a first axial location of the sleeve, and wherein thesystem further comprises third and fourth mounting plate parts that mateto form a second mounting plate that faces oppositely from the firstmounting plate and that is attachable to the second surface of the walland that comprises a second annular collar at least portions of whichpress against portions of the outer surface of the sleeve at a secondaxial location of the sleeve.
 14. The system of claim 13 wherein thesystem is configured to receive an amount of firestop material within atleast a portion of the interior volume of the elongated open-endedsleeve.
 15. The system of claim 14 wherein, when used to firestop anopening in a wall, the system is capable of providing at least a onehour F rating and a one hour T rating when tested in accordance with themethods outlined in ASTM E814 as specified in
 2008. 16. The system ofclaim 15 wherein the system does not include a firestop gasketingmaterial configured to be placed between the base of the mounting plateand the wall.
 17. The system of claim 13 comprising first and secondidentical sleeve parts that mate together to form the sleeve.
 18. Thesystem of claim 17 wherein the first and second sleeve parts eachcomprise first and second long side edges and wherein each of the sleeveparts comprises at least one tab that protrudes from at least a portionof the first long side edge of that sleeve part, and further whereinwhen the first and second sleeve parts are mated together to form asleeve, a tab of each sleeve part is positioned radially inward of, andin contact with at least a portion of, the inner surface of the sleeveat a location proximal to a long side edge of the other sleeve part. 19.The system of claim 18 wherein the first and second sleeve parts eachcomprise a single tab, that protrudes from the first long side edge ofthat sleeve part and that extends generally along the length of the longside edge to within about ¼ inch of each end of the long side edge. 20.The system of claim 18 wherein the first and second sleeve parts aresupplied mated together into a sleeve, with first and second seams beingpresent between abutted long side edges of the first and second sleeveparts, and wherein at least a first label is attached to the outersurface of the sleeve so that at least a portion of the label is inoverlapping relation with at least a portion of the first seam.